Halo: Shadows of the Past
by Ghost113
Summary: An ODST squad is trapped on a distant planet by a Covenant armada in orbit. The problem is, there is something else on the surface, something not human, and not covenant. Something no one has seen before.
1. Prologue

**_Author's Note: _**Sorry for the shortness, I wanted to get this up quickly. Chapters 1 & 2 will be longer. Enjoy the intro.

**Halo: Shadows of the Past**

**Prologue: Why We're Here**

"This is fuckin bullshit, why do we have to stay here and play poker with that cheater when those friggen ODST's get to hog all the action." A marine complained. They always complain about this shit.

"Because lets face it marine," I said. "You guys are pansy assed compared to us. This place is to hot for you guys to just wander in like a dumbstruck mental gremlin. We need to clear an LZ for base camp. Which is why we go in with our drop pods, so we don't get shot down in a pelican. This place is crawling with covenant! Also, this planets foliage is so thick a pelican wont land unless we set our charges."

"Yah well fuck you too Corporal." The marine said as he looked back at his cards. I looked back at my sergeant. Sgt O'Bryan was chill, always in for a good laugh and a good time. But when lives were at stake, there is no one you could trust more. The rest of the team were all good friends. Most have spent 5 or so years together in the service of humanity, except for that new sniper, Pfc. Nielson. She usually kept to herself, which is why nobody knew her much. But we all respected her and she respected us, and you can't make fun of her accuracy. She is good. For the rest of us, there was my best buddy Cpl. Sanders, or as everyone calls him, "Colonel Sanders", Pfc. Derdrick the engineer, Pfc Wolfe the medic and Pfc Andrews with the big machine gun.

"So, where the hell are we going now sarge?" Wolfe asked. We had a new mission, new planet, all same old shit we do all the time.

"Apparently we are going to a planet called Herdicious. The info is all in your little wee data packs. Apparently it's very hot with some nice beaches so pack your swim suits." Everyone laughed at that statement, except the marine that was complaining earlier, who let out a small grumble. "We're leaving at 0800 so get ready now."

It was 0740 and I was all decked out in my camo, armor, and equipment. I put on my lucky headband and picked up my helmet, no one puts on their helmets until we get into our drop pods. According to our "wee little data packs", Herdicious was a hot planet. No one would keep their sleeves down after first contact, if we made contact on drop. It was a 50/50 chance. Sometimes they liked to drop us right into it and kill all covenant from inside to out. Others, they gave us a break and dropped us a fair distance away so we could make plans and get ready better.

"Ok boys and girls, this is supposed to be a quick mission, we go in and set charges to clear forest for a base camp. Two, we go out and locate a covenant base which is nearby. We wait till mourning to attack. When we do, we laze the main generator. Then the sky boys will come and blow the shit out of everything. Blowing the generator will cause a huge explosion so don't get close. Three, we hunt down any remaining covenant patrols in the area. Any questions?" The sarge explained with clarity, but Andrews had to be himself and put up his hand.

"Yes Andrews?" O'Bryan said. He knew, hell we all knew, what was coming next, generally.

"Sarge, are we the first humans there? If not, then will there be hot marine chicks going in to garrison the base? And if so, will we have some time off? And-"Andrews looked like he would keep going on and on. But good old Sgt. O'Bryan stopped him dead.

"YES! We are the first humans to set foot. NO you will have no time off." There was a big groan from Derdrick. "Just because I don't like you Andrews." Sarge said. Everyone started to laugh and Andrews had this dumbstruck, what-the-fuck-is-that-about look.

"Well why the hell do you like them more then me?" Andrews asked.

"Cause they don't bitch and groan for what they get." O'Bryan said with a large grin on his face. "Well look at that, 0800, get your helmets on, and into your drop pods. GO GO GO!"


	2. Insertion

**_Author's Note:_** I said that this would be a little bit longer... but chapter 2 will definately be longer, I swear to God.

**Chapter 1: Insertion**

"Okay boys and girls, time to get dirty!" Sarge yelled into the radio. Everyone was in their drop pods, and O'Bryan could contact us inside through our radios. "We are dropping in a hot zone, so once that door blows open, you will grab your weapon, drop for cover, and blow away any covenant fuckers in the area. CLEAR?"

"Sir, yes, sir!" Was everyone's answer.

"Music to my ears!" Andrews said, he got too excited over action. But he was reliable. It took roughly 10 minutes to get planet side, and when we dropped down, the plasma and bullets were flying.

"Shoot that fucking elite Hawke! I've got the sniper!" Wolfe said. It was kind off good being back on solid ground. I spent so much time on that fucking ship, I forgot what real air tasted like. I realized I shouldn't being thinking of such things when a plasma bolt sheared past my helmet. I concentrated on the second elite, the one that fired. The one I'd been shooting at earlier now had 3 holes in his head that was leaking purple blood all over the ground. When that one was down, I aimed for various grunts (who were all running away, cowardly sons of bitchs), the jackals were already gone by Andrews' machine gun. It took 2 minutes to silence the DZ (Drop Zone). There were no human casualties.

"Man this place is hot!" Sanders said ripping off his sleeves. He stuffed them in his pocket just in case they were needed for first aid bandages. Most people were just rolling up their sleeves, but the sergeant kept his down. Mainly because of his showing of discipline.

"Ok, nice work. Hawke, Wolfe and Sanders, patrol the perimeter. Neilson, set up the transmitter beacon, and Andrews and Derdrick can place the charges. We can set hold here now." The sarge was just barking out the orders. When the first pelicans came in with marines, weapons, and warthogs, we knew we could take a breather. We earned that. Then the CO of the marines gave us our cue to get on with the rest of our mission. Really it was our second mission, clearing the DZ was our first.

"There is a covenant outpost near these ancient ruins." The CO said. He was a chief petty officer, and he was giving us our orders straight from the captain of the ship. "You are too infiltrate this area, kill all hostiles, level the outpost, and await our research team to arrive. Those ruins may hold some kind of clue towards any native life on the planet, and why the covenant have heavy land forces here." No one liked this one. Chief Petty Officer Brown was a suck up to higher ranks, to hard on the fighting boys, and a complete coward in battle. It really sucked to have that prick in command. I hope he would just die.

"Well, we have till 0930 tomorrow until we have to go." O'Bryan explained to his squad. "I suggest you make sure your equipment is in order and get some sleep. Remember to bring night vision and stealth items."

When I was done my packing, I took one long look at my family photo. I would probably see my brother somewhere here, I heard he was supposed to be garrisoning.

I awoke to Sanders shaking me. I thought he was my best buddy that prick.

"Dude, we half to go in like 15 minutes, get some breakfast in ta yah!" That's Sanders, always looking out for me. Well I had it coming, we did save each others asses on Polaris IV. We were both out in a clearing on that frosty world waiting for our extraction. We were the last of our squad, and we had no choice but to abort. Yet again those fuck heads in Intelligence were wrong. We had to hold off a swarm of covenant for 1 whole hour. How we did it still amazes me, but we didn't get extracted till a half our later. We were saved by the 5th Mech Infantry who were passing by. If those mech boys didn't get lost, we would be among our fallen comrades on that god forsaken ice rock. I never went back there, neither did Sanders. In fact, he went through therapy to get the horrors from that mission out of his mind, I dare not speak of it around him again.

"Wow, two flavors of gruel today! Horrid haggis and disgusting doo doo. Yummy yummy!" Andrews yelled out. Some people laughed, others ate. Most of the ODST's were already out of the building, preparing for there mission. I hoped this would be a simple in and out mission. No casualties, no hassles. Just in and out. We rarely got those now, but I still had faith. Faith that this stupid fucking war would end, faith to see my family and friends back home, and faith I would win the lottery.


	3. Infiltration

**Chapter 2: Infiltration**

"Ok, we have a patrol 100 meters ahead consisting of 5 grunts with plasma pistols, two jackals with beam rifles, one red elite with two plasma rifles and a blue elite with a carbine." Neilson reported, she was a good scout and we counted on her.

"Good job Neilson. Everybody ambush positions. Neilson, I want you too sneak near them and tell us how close they are getting to our toll both." Sgt. O'Bryan ordered. Everyone was in position and cock locked and ready to rock. We waited for 5 minutes when they started walking by. We waited for those two adrenaline pumping words of wisdom.

"Frags out!" O'Bryan yelled. Andrews and I threw a grenade each in the kill zone. There was alien blood all over the plants. An elites arm hit Sanders in the face plate, he wiped the blood off with one of his ripped off sleeves. Half a grunt hit Nielson and knocked her down, she was close to me so I helped her up. I think I knew her more then anyone else in the squad. Shit! I was thinking at bad times again! The red elite was still alive and shooting everywhere with his last working plasma rifle and he was waving his sword around. One jackal was still good and nearly took off Sanders face. The only thing that saved it was the fact that sanders dived for cover before that inhuman cock sucker shot at him. I returned fire and got the jackal in the back. Sander popped the elite with a good burst from his battle rifle.

"Thanks…" she said. "Looks like we got them good."

"I guess so…" I replied. We started to move out, me and Nielson stopped our brief conversation. That was the only patrol we ran into.

"Ok chaps," The sarge said. "The covenant base is up ahead, get that laser designator out Sanders, were blowin' this joint sky high."

"HO RAH!" Sanders said, he pulled the laser designator out of his rucksack and aimed. Soon, the pilot's voice was on the radio.

"Target locked, stand back ground walkers!" Then we heard the rush of the Longsword fighters and saw the mix of blue and yellow fire. The explosion was so big it leveled everything around it, and the covie forces around it. We were in a trench so we were safe. It bloody well knocked down the trees above us.

"Status report!" The sergeant yelled.

"Clear!" replied Sanders.

"Fine!" Answered Nielson

"My ears are ringing, but that's it." I said

"Ready to rock." Andrews responded

"Good to go!" Wolfe reported.

"Ah… I'm in bad shape sir!" Derdrick informed. One of the trees fell on him, and he looked in bad shape the way his body was twisted.

"Sir, his back is broken." Wolfe said. "Can you move your legs?" Wolfe asked.

"Oh shit, no. But they hurt like a fucking bitch!" Derdrick said

"Oh fuck, he's paralyzed sir, we need a stret-" she was cut of by the glowing blue orb that stuck on Derdrick's helmet.

"FUCK!" He yelled as he ripped of his helmet and threw it at the original thrower. They heard an alien scream, probably an elite, and a loud bang. A jackal flew into the trench.

"We have to get out to base camp, NOW!" I screamed.

"Wait, AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Derdrick screamed as he was lifted on the stretcher.

"We have to hold for the pelican too arrive!" Shit, we had too wait for like 15 minutes under attack be god knows how many covenant were out there! This day just got from bad to worse! I loaded a new mag and started firing at various enemy muzzle flashes. I was awarded by alien screams of pain. I noticed everyone else was having the same luck, until I heard a human cry of pain. Andrews was hit.

"Ah fuck! Andrews is hit! Shit, shit, shit! KIA! I repeat, he's KIA sir!" Wolfe yelled to the sergeant. I looked over and saw half his helmet was melted away. His skull was charred and there were some holes in it exposing burning brains. I am still haunted by those images. As we continued fighting, the covenants attack seemed less aggressive. They were not moving towards the ring of predatory beasts savagely fighting them off.

"How come these guy's don't just piss off and do something else?" Sanders asked rhetorically. I was kind off hoping the would, I was running low on ammo. Most of us were. We couldn't make the last 3 minutes! We were screwed, but the covenant stopped firing at us. Everything was eerily silent.

"What the fuck? Their gone." Nielson said in shock. I'm sure everyone was in shock. Something had driven them off, and It wasn't, couldn't have, been us.

"Pelicans here! Load up Derdrick, we are in too bad of condition too fight. We're pulling out" Sgt. O'Bryan said with pain in his voice. I actually started too notice that many of our guys were injured. I looked at this sharp pain in my arm and noticed a plasma bolt must have sheared it. The adrenaline must have been pumping good because I don't know when it happened. When the pelican landed, it suddenly took ground fire. Whatever drove off the covenant was gone and those damn bastards were back!

"Oh shit! Double time it too the pelican, lets go!" O'Bryan yelled. When we boarded, I got on the gun and started giving covering fire. When everyone was aboard and belted in, the pelican rose and took off. I didn't leave the gun, as half the trip we were taking ground fire. So I shot back.

When we got back to the base, the first thing I said was "Shit." The base was hit hard. It still looked operational, but there were moderate casualties. I don't think they could have survived longer then 30 minutes. The dead were already being buried in a mass grave.

"Where is the Master Chief marine?" O'Bryan asked a random soldier.

"He's in the field hospital. He's in bad shape." The marine said. He continued on to get what seemed like casualty reports. O'Bryan started for the field hospital when he noticed his troops where following.

"Go help bring this place back together." The sarge said, and entered the building marked with a red cross. Sanders and I went too the perimeter too see how the defenses were doing, while Wolfe and Nielson were brining Derdrick into the hospital.

"Man this blows." Sanders said, "Thank god we made it out. I don't think we could have made it."

"If the pelican came just 2 minutes late, we wouldn't be talking about it." I said, "And Andrews, damn."

"I know, I had a bad feeling ever since we dropped in. And it hasn't gone away yet." Sanders replied. Through Sanders gut feelings, him and I were alive and would keep ticking. It was kind of a six sense that he had.

"Man, I had a bad feeling when I signed on for this job!" I joked. We both laughed at that.

"Shit, then why did you do it?" Sanders threw back at me.

"Because I wanted to fight, but I wanted to be the best, so I don't die as easily." I answered. "I wanted to fight by my comrades, I want to get them all home."

"Get a girlfriend." Sanders said, laughing.

"I'm working on it." I said with a smirk on my face. My wife was in fleet, her ship was shot down by covenant. That was 6 years ago.


End file.
